Exelica Garden
by Arceusfish
Summary: In the time leading up to the Zero Requiem, there is yet more that needs to be done. Lelouch x C.C.


Small gusts of wind blew across the flower fields, pushing the grass around like a stormy sea and sending flower petals into the air. Lelouch watched it from where he sat on the ground, C.C.'s green hair echoing the same movement as the field from where she was asleep in his lap. Suzaku stood a little ways away, his knight's cape billowing in the wind as his eyes fixed on the city of Pendragon that surrounded them in the distance. This was one of the few places in the city where you could feel as though you were somewhere else, far from the bustling streets of a capital or the desert it stood in.

Lelouch glanced down at C.C., admiring how different she looked when she was asleep. There was no critical stare or scowl across her face now; she looked rather peaceful, despite everything she had lived through. Lelouch closed his eyes, feeling only the wind as it blew past him, and it seemed as though nothing had changed since eight years ago, the last time he'd been in this imperial garden. The smell of the flowers was the same, the sunlight that beat down, the sound of the wind blowing across the landscape. The only thing different was Suzaku, and of course C.C.'s warmth…

"Lelouch." Suzaku's voice suddenly brought Lelouch back to the present. He opened his eyes and turned to face his friend.

"Yes?"

"When was the last time you came here?" Suzaku's eyes remained fixed ahead.

Lelouch turned to the ground in thought, watching the blades of grass writhe. "I-I'm not sure. Probably around eight years ago, not long before I left. Why?"

"Has it changed much?"

Lelouch looked at Suzaku questioningly, and noticed that a sudden tired look had crept into his eyes. "I'm sure it has, but not much." he began, carefully searching for the words, knowing of their significance. "It has a different feel to it now that I'm here on different terms."

"How so?"

"Well, all the times I came here before it was usually just to explore or practice horseback riding. It was all for fun. But now it doesn't feel as happy anymore."

"Does anything?"

"…I'm not sure." Lelouch didn't want to continue the conversation, even though he knew that Suzaku was searching for something. It was as if a switch went off and now the grass, flowers, and wind were taunting him, as if they knew his life would end soon and he would end up becoming a part of them. It sickened him, and he wanted to get up and leave, but knew that if he did so, he would disturb C.C. She probably felt the same when she was awake; he didn't want to deny her more sleep if he could help it. Looking at her like this somehow made him feel a little better, and he realized that he'd zoned out again, but he didn't care. Lelouch found himself tracing the contours of C.C.'s face lightly with the back of his hand, wondering why despite her age and her difficult life, she still looked so young. Her face had become one of the only stable things in his life now, the others being his own ambition and Suzaku's friendship. Maybe it didn't matter if everything else changed; he knew that those things never would.

"I didn't think I'd ever see you like this, Lelouch." Suzaku laughed hoarsely, although his smile was short-lived.

Lelouch tore his eyes away from C.C. "Like what?" he gave Suzaku a puzzled look.

"You know…with that look." Suzaku narrowed his eyes. "Don't tell me you don't get what I mean. I never thought you to be that dense."

Lelouch glanced back at C.C., his heart skipping a beat as he grasped what Suzaku was saying. "I…it's not what it looks like."

"Actually, I think it is." Suzaku turned to look back at the landscape. "You're just making it worse, denying it all this time."

"I don't think it could get much worse." Lelouch caught a few strands of C.C.'s hair that were blown by the wind and let them slip through his fingers.

"I'm pretty sure it can." Suzaku sighed.

"And you would know?" Lelouch narrowed his eyes.

Suzaku flinched. "Actually, I would." He glanced at Lelouch out of the corner of his eye, and Lelouch suddenly felt sick again under the green gaze.

"I see…" Lelouch sunk to the ground a little. "Then why do I deserve happiness when I deny it from others? That's hypocritical. Euphy should still be here…"

"Maybe, but I think I know what she'd tell you." Suzaku walked over and sat down next to Lelouch. "She'd say that you should let people know how much they mean to you before it's too late. I'm sure of it. All she wanted was for everyone to be happy, including you."

"Is that so?" Lelouch couldn't lift his eyes from the grass on the ground, and didn't know what else he should say. He had no right to say anything anyway.

After a long pause, Suzaku sighed and stood back up. "You've always been such a dork…" he muttered under his breath, knowing it was loud enough for Lelouch to hear.

For a while only the sound of the wind and rustling grass could be heard, until Lelouch finally broke the silence, warranting a surprised look from Suzaku.

"Suzaku…you're right. This is one thing I can't lie about."


End file.
